Controversy has yet again surrounded the Darrang Zila Parishad (ZP), the highest body of the three-tyre Panchayati Raj system of the district as 10 members of the 14-member elected body on Wednesday moved ‘no confidence’ motion against its President Dipali Deka.
This move by the members of the Darrang ZP has come just 28 days ahead of the completion of their five-year tenure. The members, who moved ‘no confidence’ motion against its President, who belongs to the Congress party, included the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Congress itself.
This surprise move came following a case registered with Mangaldai Police Station on the basis of an FIR lodged by President Dipali Deka on November 12 last where she charged the CEO of Darrang ZP, Adhar Bhuyan and two office assistants along with four of its standing committee members namely Jayanta Saharia, Abdul Latif Mandal, Nalini Saharia and Tiharu Gour of developing a nexus to select lowest bidders in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) for permanent settlement about 27 markets under the Panchayats by allegedly violating different legal provisions of the Assam Panchayat Act , 1994 resulting into losing government revenue to the tune of more than one crore.
Talking to the Northeast Now, Darrang ZP President Deka claimed that the charge levelled against her by the 10 members of the ZP urging for ‘no confidence’ is ‘totally false’ and ‘baseless’. “They have kept on putting pressure on me to withdraw the case filed against the CEO and four of our members already threatened me of going for such an action if I fail to respond to their demand. But I didn’t bow down before their pressure and maintained my firm stand against the corruption issue,” said President Deka.
Deka also expressed her resentment over the BJP-led State government and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal alleging total ignorance even though she personally met him on January 31 last and submitted a memorandum with all relevant supporting documents.
She said, “CM Sonowal and his government’s ‘zero tolerance against corruption’ is only to safeguard the corrupt government officials like CEO Adhar Bhuyan even after several complaints to the government and the police since last four months or so.”
Deka also alleged, “I suspect CEO Bhuyan’s nexus with the members. He may use black-mailing tactics on the members or has tempted them to release 30 per cent of the fund under Fifth Finance Commission involving an amount of more than Rs 60 lakh against schemes of their choice before their tenure comes to end shortly.”